Category Archives: Mark Kamins

INFO > In the early 1990s, Lucien Foort and Olivier Abbeloos manufactured electronic beats under several aliases, and scored hits with rave anthems produced as Quadrophonia. US exclusive single “Schizofrenia [The Worst Day Of My Life]” was remixed by Mark Kamins.

INFO > “Ziggarats Of Cinnamon” was a US-exclusive single release from ‘a unique collaboration’ between Anne Dudley and Jaz Coleman. Mark Kamins provides techno house makeovers of the tune, and UK single “Habebe” is appended as a bonus track.

LIVE > I’m going to see Jaz Coleman with the original Killing Joke lineup (Kevin ‘Geordie’ Walker, Martin ‘Youth’ Glover, and Paul Ferguson) perform tonight at Union Transfer in Philadelphia. The band is touring in support of a new compilation, “The Singles Collection: 1979-2012”, scheduled for release on 6 May 2013.

INFO > In 1990, Anne Dudley (The Art Of Noise) teamed up with Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke) to produce an album, “Songs From The Victorious City”, inspired by Cairo, Egypt, where recording sessions took place. The project’s description of ‘A Unique Collaboration’ is certainly apt, mixing traditional Middle Eastern instruments and arrangements with contemporary production elements. While Anne Dudley is well known for her orchestrations and keyboard work, I was surprised to discover that Coleman’s talents extend to violin, pipe, and flute. Three singles were released in conjunction with the project: “Minarets And Memories” (1990), “Habebe” (1991), and “Ziggarats Of Cinnamon” (1991). A belated US release of “Minarets And Memories” was issued in 1992 with new mixes by Mark Kamins.

Earlier this month, clubland and the music world lost a talented and respected pioneer: DJ and producer Mark Kamins. His passing might have gone unobserved in the mainstream media were it not for his association with Madonna—in 1982, Kamins passed along a demo of his then-girlfriend Miss Ciccone to Sire Records chief Seymour Stein. And like the Material Girl at that time, Kamins’ career was about to take off.

As a resident DJ at New York’s legendary Danceteria nightclub, Kamins’ sets were “risky, extreme and revolutionary,” as described by Arthur Baker. Nothing was too bizarre for the dancefloor in early-80s Manhattan, and Kamin’s record selections were certainly eclectic: electro, hip hop, pop, and new wave tunes were punctuated by sound effects and exotic vocal samples. Equally diverse were his choice of artists when working in the studio: Quando Quango, Karen Finley, David Van Tieghem, Ofra Haza, Tommy Page, Ajax, and even Dolly Parton.

Kamins suffered a massive heart attack on 14 February 2013.

In tribute to Mark Kamins’ life and work, today’s offering is a sampling of his productions and remixes for various artists.